Walsall lose but stay in League One

Walsall pulled off their Great Escape on the final day of the season – despite going down 3-1 at Southampton.

The Saddlers beat the League One drop by a point, after Peterborough routed Dagenham & Redbridge 5-0 to render defeat irrelevant.

Survival looked virtually impossible at the New Year, when they were eight points from safety and rock bottom of the table.

But manager Dean Smith replaced Chris Hutchings to rescue the season and complete one of the club's most remarkable recoveries.

Smith has won seven of his 24 games – including last weekend's key 2-0 victory over Charlton – to guide the side to fifth-bottom and safety.

But they were second best for much of the clash at St Mary's – which saw Southampton promoted as runners-up behind Brighton.

Guly Do Prado and David Connolly struck twice within three first-half minutes to stun the Saddlers.

Julian Gray's fine strike pulled one back on the stroke of half time before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's solo effort made it 3-1 on 69 minutes.

But the result mattered little, as the 1,663 visiting Walsall fans and players celebrated at the final whistle.

Marco Gbarssin returned to add steel in the middle at the expense of the luckless Will Grigg, as Smith went for the safe option of the more defensively-minded midfielder.

But they were far from secure in the opening minutes, as Jordan Cook's nervy pass fell for Do Prado and goalkeeper Jimmy Walker tipped his rising drive over.

The Saddlers barely touched the ball in the opening 10 minutes as the Saints – in front of a crowd of 31,653 – demonstrated why they have clinched automatic promotion.

Southampton should have gone ahead on 19 minutes when David Connolly nodded down to Do Prado – only for Walker to produce a fine point blank save.

But the hosts opened the scoring on 26 minutes Cook's poor ball found Connolly, who fed the winger to cut inside Andy Butler to curl past Walker.

It didn't get much better for the Saddlers three minutes later, when Dean Hammond and Adam Lallana combined for Connolly to squeeze a shot inside Walker's near post.

The quickfire salvo rocked Walsall and Hammond came close to a third, when his angled volley cannoned off the woodwork.

It was one way traffic and the shellshocked Saddlers brought off Gbarssin for Grigg and switched to 4-4-2 to try and salvage something.

It briefly stemmed the tide and Butler's header clipped the post three minutes before the break and Walsall pulled one back right on half time.

Cook's raking ball was flicked on by Jon Macken and Gray cut in from the right to curl a sweet strike into the bottom corner from 18-yards.

It was the boost the Saddlers needed and, with Dagenham losing 1-0 at Peterborough at the break, they knew they were 45 minutes from safety.

And it was a strong opening for Walsall after the break, as Macken stretched the Saints backline and almost levelled on 57 minutes when his far post volley hit the side netting.

But Saints should have extended their lead just before the hour, when Connolly somehow missed from six yards after Chamberlain's effort had hit the post.

Grigg almost made them pay minutes later when his close range effort clattered off the woodwork after Emmanuel Ledesma's cross.

It was a vastly improved performance and Macken thought he'd pulled the Saddlers level on 68 minutes after turning in Marc Laird's shot – but was ruled offside.

A minute later, Saints restored their two goal advantage when Oxlade-Chamberlain struck a beauty from 25-yards.

Walker denied the teenage sensation with nine minutes to go before another point blank save from Lallana seconds later.

Then it was party time.